We met Chase (or I should say he met us) when he was 1 year old. A family advertised a free Golden Retriever in the newspaper. We went to see him and fell in love immediately. The family he had was too busy for him (3 kids and activities) Chase spent most days in a kennel and had no backyard to run and the family felt it was better for him for another family to adopt him. They wanted to make sure we owned a home with a backyard and we said we did, but the truth was we lived in an apartment at the time; we wanted him so bad we lied. In time, we did get a house with a fenced back yard. Chase was a very easy going Golden always smiling, always wanting us the shake his paw. He loved when we asked if he wanted "Bones" (treats)
A few weeks ago, I was supposed to go to Las Vegas with my husband for his aunt's 75th birthday. I decided not to go, I was afraid to fly and I needed to stay home with our two girls 14 and 9. On Friday evening, 2 hours after eating his dinner, he started to have seizures, one after another. My daughter and I stayed up all night with him, making him comfortable and trying to prop him up on pillows because when he was in a certain position he wouldn't have a seizure. On Saturday morning we took him to the vet and she checked Chase out thoroughly and came to the conclusion that he had pneumonia and that the seizures were actually a result of not getting enough oxygen. Which made sense to me, that's why in certain positions he would breathe easier and not have seizures.
Chase was given antibiotics and water pills to get rid of the fluid in his lungs. We got home, gave him his medicine and tried to make him comfortable. He loved to be brushed, so as we propped him up on pillows we brushed and brushed him. It was so sad; he acted like he didn't know us and didn't wag his tail or eat treats for us. We made him comfortable enough for him to fall asleep, and as he did, so did we because we were exhausted from being up all night. He slipped off his pillow prop and had one last seizure and stopped breathing. I heard him having a seizure and ran to him, and held him, he died in my arms.
I feel Chase knew he was going to the Rainbow Bridge that weekend and there was a reason I didn't go on that trip. We will remember always the 9 years we had with him.
We love you, Chase.
Love,
Michele, Leo, Rebecca and Allison
Kennesaw, GA
